i took my kids to see holes today. my older daughter read the book and the disney hype machine was running ot on this one as it features a star of one of the disney channel's show - so they were really looking fwd to it. i really didn't know what to expect. what a pleasant suprise. ostensibly a kids movie - it is a great story told in a fairly complex and mature way - far more complex, subtle and mature than most movies which pass as for grownups. this is an outstanding movie - from a kid or adult perspective. it's great as a parent to see a movie whose content is appropriate and yet not condescending to kids. the filmmakers took care to make a good movie and the performances were all good - esp. jon voight...

be the first kid on your block to get one of these. certainly destined to be the wackiest souvenir of the latest war...

get well, luther

p.s. f5

5. another reason to want to be space ghost...in one episode, he got to blast carrot top. i think subconsciously that's why i picked him in the first place...

f5

1. Who is your favorite celebrity?
slappy white

2. Who is your least favorite?
carrot top

3. Have you ever met or seen any celebrities in real life?
i ran into former cleveland browns football coach sam rutigliano in an airport. i was with my brother who, at one time, worked for the cyo. my brother had hired sam for some speaking engagements, so the cool thing was, sam noticed/approached us!

4. Would you want to be famous? Why or why not?
i AM famous and you ordinary folks can't begin to understand what a drag it is

5. If you had to trade places with a celebrity for a day, who would you choose and why?
space ghost - he's the coolest

frequent readers will know today is dc day (digital cable). and no, i did not cancel classes for the rest of the semester (yet). i did come home between classes to check it out though and already it has made a profound impact on my life. for example, instead of watching trading spaces on tlc , this afternoon i watched changing rooms on bbc america

in related news - caught the video for tv party by black flag (great tune - hadn't heard it for a while) for the first time on vh1 classic, then the ciccone youth's stirring cover of addicted to love...they then played el debarge's who's johnny as the yin to the yang of the previous tunes (or it the other way around)...

i fear 3 years of healthier living, improved dieting, and increased exercise is likely going to be shot in a few weeks of tv-bingeing - thanks comcast

argh! new comments are acting squirrelly. my theory is some person develops a commenting system. it works just fine when there are only a few folks using it, but when other bloggers see how nice it is working and switch over, it can't handle the increased volume. this has been the pattern for the three commenting systems i've used - works great for a while then in the dumper...

too funny - from the onion

another gem from the dullest blog in the world (which paradoxically, i think is one of the best), Turning my head to the right

we get digital cable tomorrow. i am considering cancelling classes for the rest of the semester. seriously.

blogcurry®

• is anyone else worried about all this syria talk?
• is anyone else worried about tnn changing name to spike and becoming first cable channel aimed specifically at men? does this mean they'll follow lifetime's lead and make special made-for-cable touching/sensitive movies about the anguish men feel - such as, for example, how one feels when one realizes that there is no more beer in the refrigerator

i used to track referrals, but after seeing my first scary referral (prob. within a few days of starting) i stopped. well, i've thought of a way to track referrals w/o making them visible on my site, so i'm doing it again. so far no scary referrals, but it is funny when you see a referral and have no clue how it relates to your blog, such as AOL Search: Results for "you're just walking around to save funeral expenses"

i went to the page, found the quote and only have the vaguest recollection of posting it...

i always tell my family (jokingly) i don't get sick because i am a vegetarian. of course, it is nonsense, but actually, since turning vegetarian, i have been sick less frequently. i definitely have less digestive troubles which i feel does have something to do with my diet. as far as less colds/flu, etc. - that is probably just either a happy coincidence or related to having a healthier lifestyle in general, as opposed to specifically being vegetarian. i fear however, things might be catching up with me. the kids have been under the weather, my wife was feeling a bit ill yesterday, and i fell kind of pre-sick - you know, when there really aren't specific symptoms, but feel a bit tired, perhaps a bit stuffy, etc... perhaps i can fight it off - wish me luck...

i caught john corbett's new show lucky on fx last night - the show tried so hard to be a wild and crazy vegas-y kind of show - it was ok - i like john corbett a lot - his characters always seem likeable. the title of the show, perhaps, should have been changed to unlucky though, as apparently he signed to do this show before my big fat greek wedding was a hit, and therefore could not appear in the tv version - which prob. would have meant a bigger payday...

bbc 6 playing the isley bros. who's that lady?
wow, this is one tune i don't hear often enough!
ernie isley ROCKS!

"My friend the communist
Holds meetings in his RV
I can't afford his gas
So I'm stuck here watching TV
I don't have digital
I don't have diddly squat
It's not having what you want
It's wanting what you've got o

CHORUS:
I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up (I'm gonna tell 'em that)
I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I'm looking up o I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I've got a crummy job
It don't pay near enough
To buy the things it takes
To win me some of your love
Every time I turn around
I'm looking up, you're looking down
Maybe something's wrong with you
That makes you act the way you do

CHORUS

I'm gonna soak up the sun
While it's still free
I'm gonna soak up the sun
Before it goes out on me
Don't have no master suite
I'm still the king of me
You have a fancy ride, but baby
I'm the one who has the key
Every time I turn around
I'm looking up, you're looking down
Maybe something's wrong with you
That makes you act the way you do
Maybe I am crazy too

CHORUS

I'm gonna soak up the sun
Got my 45 on
So I can rock on"

artists i love, but for some unknown reason, have managed not to have any cd's of: part 1

beth orton

"ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR...
HRMM!
ONE, TWO, (one, two, three, four!)

LET ME TELL YOU HOW IT WILL BE;
THERE'S ONE FOR YOU, NINETEEN FOR ME.
'CAUSE I'M THE TAXMAN,
YEAH, I'M THE TAXMAN.

SHOULD FIVE PER CENT APPEAR TOO SMALL,
BE THANKFUL I DON'T TAKE IT ALL.
'CAUSE I'M THE TAXMAN,
YEAH, I'M THE TAXMAN.

(If you drive a car, car;) - I´LL TAX THE STREET;
(If you try to sit, sit;) - I´LL TAX YOUR SEAT;
(If you get too cold, cold;) - I´LL TAX THE HEAT;
(If you take a walk, walk;) - I´LL TAX YOUR FEET.

TAXMAN!

' CAUSE I'M THE TAXMAN,
YEAH, I'M THE TAXMAN.

DON'T ASK ME WHAT I WANT IT FOR, (ah-ah, Mister Wilson)
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PAY SOME MORE. (ah-ah, Mister Heath)
' CAUSE I'M THE TAXMAN,
YEAH, I'M THE TAXMAN.

NOW MY ADVICE FOR THOSE WHO DIE, (Taxman)
DECLARE THE PENNIES ON YOUR EYES. (Taxman)
' CAUSE I'M THE TAXMAN,
YEAH, I'M THE TAXMAN.

AND YOU'RE WORKING FOR NO ONE BUT ME.

TAXMAN! "

i can never understand exactly why anxiety hits me on some days. today i can't identify any real good reason for me being anxious - yet i am - perhaps it's just an accumulation of a 1000 small details hanging over me...

good news: i got the official word i will be participating again in the nasa summer faculty fellowship

on the lighter side, bbc6 is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of rem's murmur...i also heard they may be playing the official release (not what was on the internet) of radiohead's new single, today...

today, in my kitchen, i revolutionized world cuisine by being the first (to my knowledge) to merge mexican and indian cookery. i took a can of punjabi-style curried chick peas - heated it up, then rolled them up in a jalapeno/cilantro tortilla creating - get this - the punjaburito©.

even my wife, a non-vegetarian who is skeptical about my culinary experiments and who vocifereously complained at the malodorous emissions from the microwave while the chick peas were heating up, sampled it and loved it. so much so she had a second.

if, per chance, any taco bell execs read this, contact me and we can discuss licensing rights...

one thing i like about inline skating is, depending on how i approach it on any day, it can be a vigourous workout, or a relaxing stroll through the neighborhood. today, it was a substitute father/daughter earth day activity. we were supposed to go to the zoo for their earth day festivities, but my younger daughter was not feeling well.

happy earth day, btw, although i agree with the sentiments, i find it an oddly named holiday. i have no doubt the earth and whatever creatures eventually evolve to live in the mess we are creating, will get along just fine for many years - humanity, on the other hand, i'm not so sure of...

anyhow, my daughter was a real go-getter today and pushed me to do 8 miles - 20 laps around the .4 mile track around the soccer fields. i skate a lot and although i've gone further, that is not an inconsequential distance (esp. this early in the year) - even with the relaxed pace and regular breaks. i told her that she should enter a race with me - i suspect she'd clean up in her age group.

so i've really been making up for lost time skating the past few days - for the past 4 consecutive days i've gone no less than 4 miles or so on other day and had one day of 6 and one day of 8. feels great - and the buckle i discovered on my skates allows them to be fitted much tighter - which is like getting new skates - i feel i skate so much stronger and have more control of the edges, etc...

new link: the dullest blog in the world

sunday morning scene

(counting crows w/vanessa carlton video for their version of joni mitchell's big yellow taxi comes on vh1)

me: this is horrible. joni mitchell must be rolling over in her grave.
so: joni mitchell isn't dead
me: this killed her.